Brief history of women’s emancipation

Until the late nineteenth century women were considered inferior to men. They were unable to exercise any political power, let alone serve in elected bodies. Although soon after that, the weaker sex launched their struggle for women’s emancipation because they did no want to be seen primarily as a helpmate for man, as mother and educator of children. Ironically it played a mean trick on them as many women had to bear the double burden of mastering previously male professions and playing the traditional role of wife and mother.
 
Nowadays according to the survey conducted by the Wall Street Journal and NBC News, women have passed men in numbers of university degrees awarded. Consequently, they are able to get an equal access to employment and benefit from the changes in the world.

Two great women in politics and economics

It is undeniable that the political arena is a tough place to be part of, especially for women, because they also have to handle the adversity based on their gender and the stereotypes that go along with being a female. In the person of Margaret Thatcher women proved to be capable of political work. A Soviet journalist nicknamed her the “Iron Lady”, which later became associated with her uncompromising policies. She terminated the stereotype that women are only motivated by emotions and the need to be loved, while men are driven by facts. Margaret Thatcher remains a figure who revitalized Britain’s economy, curbed the trade unions, and re-established the nation as a world power.

Remarkably in the sphere of economics women are not less successful. Andrea Jung is a Canadian-American businessperson. She is the Chairman and former CEO of Avon Products Inc. Jung was named one of Forbes 100 Most powerful women in 2004 and shortly after in 2009, she was marked as one of the most powerful persons in the world. While CEO of Avon Products in 2009, Jung received a total compensation of about $7,000,000.

Conclusion

To draw the conclusion, one can say that on the one hand the major changes occurred in the course of history have dramatically altered women’s position in the society to the better. On the other hand it is reported that professional women not only find difficulty in advancing to the top levels, but also bear discrimination, harassment and payment inequities.
  
I was deeply inspired by those outstanding women mentioned previously. They give me the hope that one day there will be no double standards for both genders.

Further reading:

1) How to learn a foreign language effectively

2) English Accents

Originally a chemist before becoming a barrister, Thatcher was elected Member of Parliament (MP) for Finchley in 1959. Edward Heath appointed her Secretary of State for Education and Science in his 1970 government. In 1975 Thatcher defeated Heath in the Conservative Party leadership election and became Leader of the Opposition, as well as the first woman to lead a major political party in the United Kingdom. She became prime minister after winning the 1979 general election.

After entering 10 Downing Street, Thatcher introduced a series of political and economic initiatives to reverse what she perceived as Britain’s precipitous national decline. Her political philosophy and economic policies emphasised deregulation (particularly of the financial sector), flexible labour markets, the privatisation of state-owned companies, and reducing the power and influence of trade unions. Thatcher’s popularity during her first years in office waned amid recession and high unemployment, until economic recovery and the 1982 Falklands War brought a resurgence of support, resulting in her re-election in 1983. Thatcher was re-elected for a third term in 1987, but her Community Charge (popularly referred to as “poll tax”) was widely unpopular and her views on the European Community were not shared by others in her Cabinet. She resigned as Prime Minister and party leader in November 1990, after Michael Heseltine launched a challenge to her leadership.

Thatcher holds a life peerage as Baroness Thatcher, of Kesteven in the County of Lincolnshire, which entitles her to sit in the House of Lords.

In early 1981 a vital, secret meeting between Margaret Thatcher and Rupert Murdock took place in the Prime Minister’s country residence.

These were the early days of Thatcherism and Murdock was swinging  behind her right wing policies of cuts in government spending, leading to record unemployment, and a clamp down on the unions. 

Both policies suited Murdock very well. As a conservative extremist and big business fanatic he supported the government spending cuts and needed to smash the print unions to make his newspapers more profitable.

For her part Thatcher knew that with the Murdock press there to direct public opinion against Labour and the unions she was in a stronger position. So what did Murdock want?

He wanted to buy the Times and Sunday Times – which would double the size of his press empire. Any move like that should have been investigated by the Monopolies Commission.

It was possible they would say no, or at the least delay the process. Murdock could not be having any of that. He wanted to be in control, he wanted the press power and revenue NOW. He had big plans to move into TV and he needed the cash flow.

So a secret meeting was fixed up. After the event Thatcher and her spin doctor Bernard Ingham would deny that any meeting had taken place.

But it did and Murdock spelled his terms out. If Thatcher let his bid go forward – without any referral to the Monopolies Commission – she could count on his unconditional support for all of the right wing lunacies she had in mind. Murdock got his dominant place in UK Media with 4 national papers.

Thatcher got his support and went on to win 2 more elections.

When questions were asked about the meeting there was a cover up. According to Murdock’s official version of events, The History of the Times : The Murdock Years “There was no communication whatsoever during the period in which the Times bid was up for discussion.”

Just another lie from the Murdock organisation but in spite of all the phone hacking and corruption charges – this may be the most important lie of all. Because this non-meeting gave Murdock the power to swing public opinion behind the Conservative Government at a time when they were selling state assets off cheap and destroying manufacturing industry.

Long before phone hacking, corruption of police and public officials, the influence of Murdock over UK affairs has been disastrous and tragic. The damage has been done. Hopefully the Murdock days are over.

The fact that I have now not lived in Liverpool for some nine years now does NOT deflect the feeling or the loyalty to the people of Liverpool that I have despite past differences I may or may not have had in the past with Scousers in the past.  I never deny the fact that although I was born in Manchester and believe I was moved to Liverpool when I was only months old I still regard myself with pride as a Scouser through and through.  The sick comments made by Kenneth Oxford were hurtful, disrespectful and totally without foundation and for this, that idiot of a Prime Minister at the time Margaret Thatcher grants him a knighthood.  It should have been a night hood wrapped up over his head and tied up - PERMANENTLY.

This controversy could not have come at a better time for me personally as it proves what I have been saying for a long time now about the perversion and corruption that police in this country are involved in.  It is marvellous how a police rank and a warrant card can allow venomous pigs like Kenneth Oxford to rise above the law and totally disregard innocent men, women and children’s rights.

People in Liverpool will survive this attack as they survived all that Adolph Hitler threw at us during World War Two.  Dead or alive the name of Kenneth Oxford will stink as it did when he came to Liverpool as Chief Constable - he again was partly responsible in part for the 1981 riots so his track record comes to a close motivated second to that of Adolph Hitler’s attitude towards the Jews and one that the population of Liverpool and Great Britain should never ever forget.  This sort of animal should never ever again be allowed to hold positions of responsibility at the expense of innocent people’s lives when tragedies such as the Hillsborough tragedy occur.  It is then and unfortunately only then that such barbaric animals – in life or in death – have their true colours exposed.                                                                                                                                     Leslie Lewis  

Scientists at Edinburgh University found that a gene variation called ABCC9, making some people require an additional 30 minutes every night. One in five Europeans are carriers of gene variants ABCC9, which is involved in sensing the energy level of the cells in the body.

Female First quoted as saying, Dr Jim Wilson, of Edinburgh University Health Sciences Center, said, “People sleep for about one-third of their lives. Tendency for someone to sleep longer or shorter than the age of affected families, seasons, and circadian rhythms. “

He added, “These new insights can be incorporated in the biology of sleep and it is important to uncover the impact of behavioral health and sleep.”

                                  Iron Lady

The story starts with Margaret Thatcher (Meryl Streep) at an old age, going off to a store to buy milk and she figures out that the price of milk has gone up, she never let’s any factor get her down age or the fact she’s a woman, wanting to do a man’s job.

The Movie plays the series of event that took place in Margaret’s life, as she remembers them at an old age, as she also battles with dementia, she goes through the past events in life with her dead husband (Jim Broadbent). She even determines the suit her imaginary husband would wear, he appears every once in a while, she never lets anyone determine what she wants.

She never belonged to where was meant for her “sex”, it just happens that what she was passionate about, “Public service” which was dominated by men, which did not discourage her from, chasing her ambition.

When she got proposed to, in the face of love she still stands her grounds and says what she wants in life and she wants more than staying pretty and belonging to the kitchen, she insists that one’s life must matter beyond the cooking, cleaning and having children one’s life must mean more.

She got a degree in Oxford. In her quest to join Public Service, she became a Member of Parliament, Edward Heath appointed Thatcher Secretary of State for Education and Science.

Then the time came when Margaret decided to run for Prime Minister of England, She did not want to be Prime minister, all she wanted to do was to shake the party and make the present Prime Minister sit up. She did not believe that she could be Prime minister, but her good friends in office told her she could pull it through, one of which Airey Neave (Nicholas Farrell) was killed by the IRA with a bomb.

She got the inspiration to run for Prime Minister of England with or without her husband’s support, she had a price to pay to pursue her goal in life which she was really dedicated to, at the detriment of the relationship of her family; her husband and her children.

Thatcher believes that as a leader, it’s not possible to please everyone but you must get your way which is most important. She stood her ground with the budget cuts, the tax policies and with the Argentina attack she made her stance, even with the international intervention to talk her out of her decision.

Margaret Thatcher resigned at the end, she ended up been the longest-serving Prime Minister of the 20th century, she led her nation out of the dumps, with all the tough decisions she made, she stuck to what she believed in and made a lot of difference, and at the end she was forced to resign against her will.

In all she wonders if all she did achieve in life was worth it……..

All she wanted to do was to make a difference in the world that came with a huge price “forfeiting the relationship she had with her family”

                                          MY THOUGHTS

There was more to Margaret Thatcher’s life than what was played in the movie, it depends on what they wanted to show us, they dwelt so much on the fact she was old, quite unstable and was still imagining that her Husband was still alive. They had the freedom to show so many areas of her life that was beautiful; doing so well with her academics and till today has the privilege to be in the House of Lords.

The two things I can also testify to like everyone else, the make-up was amazing and the acting by Meryl Streep was brilliant.

There are beautiful quotes from the movie that were remarkable…..

“We should encourage our children to aspire to achieve more than we have for our children will be leaders of tomorrow”……….. by  Alfred Roberts

“We will stand on principle or we not stand at all”…….. Margaret Thatcher

If any actress ever deserved an Oscar more than Meryl Streep for this consummate performance, then I cannot think who it might be. Her portrayal of the dementia-affected old lady – once such a powerhouse – was poignant, touching, realistic yet gritty. Not pulling her acting punches, she managed to convey quite beautifully how far the mighty had actually fallen whilst somehow managing to display that the iron spine for which the lady was renowned still kept her upright.

It was this desperate dignity in the illusion-filled existence that had become her daily life which made this portrayal of a remarkable woman so utterly enthralling and memorable. Yes, the film was shot as a series of flashbacks to the beginnings of the career of Margaret Roberts, to her rise to power as the first western woman national leader, and then to some of the major incidents of her almost 12-year tenure, and perhaps more detail would have been good, but the power of the woman in question could not have been more skilfully portrayed.

I remember quite clearly just how outraged I was, as a British patriot, when the Argentinian troops invaded the Falkland Islands, and the steely resolve of Mrs Thatcher – flying in the face of opposition from her political colleagues – to send a UK task force to take back what was ours – epitomised the bull-dog spirit for which the English are renowned, and made her the darling of every British citizen for years afterwards.

Meryl Streep must have studied the real Iron Lady in detail preparing for this role, which she carried off with such aplomb that I was left speechless by the power of it.  Jim Broadbent was delightful as the irritatingly endearing Dennis – forever inhabiting the old lady’s thoughts, despite being long dead from cancer -and the old news footage blended in seamlessly, adding to the poignancy of the whole.

I was and still am a great admirer of the remarkable phenomenon that was the Iron Lady, because this daughter of a grocer never let herself be deflected from actions she believed to be the right ones, even if, ultimately, the power she got used to would blind her so much to the reality of public opinion that she was forced to surrender it. Margaret Thatcher was a truly iconic woman in her time, and Meryl Streep plays this iconic Iron Lady to absolute perfection with a genuinely Oscar-worthy acting tour de force.

It is rare indeed that a subject as complex as this was is given such a sympathetic portrayal, and everyone involved in the making of this film deserves every accolade, because it was quite brilliantly done, and the shining star – the frail and, dear me, forgetful old woman with the will of iron still driving her – was this wonderful actress who was just so utterly convincing. Brilliant performance, Great film. 

“We have agreed to remove 11 years of his life after Harry’s birth, when Harry was two years old, and it’s partly from the standpoint of his bodyguards,” Stephen said as quoted by Femalefirst, Tuesday (02/07/2012).

Because of the direct experience of the closest, Stephen did not want to drive more story to be working on. He wanted to give the assessment of the facts of life of women who died in a car accident in 1997.

“The film is not spoke about her extraordinary beauty, or pain in the neck. Let the audience who will judge, and make their own views,” he explained.

With the launch of a movie about Princess Diana, Stephen hopes to rival the film The Iron Lady’s presence that elevates the story of former British Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher. A number of names such as Keira Knightley, and Scarlett Johansson will memerakan character called Princess Diana.

“I think Diana has an amazing quality, phenomenal and incredible charisma, and very intelligent,” he said.

When did he ever have to scrimp and save a every penny to make ends meet?.He has nothing in common with the some of the people he claims to represent.According to www.direct.gov.uk:Your human rights include:

the right to life.

The right not to be discriminated against in respect of these rights and freedoms.

The plain and simple truth is,there are not enough jobs to go around and/or people lack the necessary skills in either maintaining or retraining in their jobs.I myself am unemployed and at 41 it seems like there is no hope,all i seem to do is fill out endless job applications where it seems there are 30 persons also applying for the same job.In some cases it would seem to be either over qualified for a humble position in a company or too old to be retrained,of course this is never disclosed to you as it would come under discrimination.My recommendation is to cut all this inadequate red tape questions at interview.’Why do you want to work here?’.'What are your strengths and weaknesses?’. ‘What can you bring to the company?’. Amongst other nonsensical questions.I do understand that companies have to know certain things about you but some of the questions i have been asked at interview by a 22 year old who themselves have been in their job for a short period borders on stupidity.

Today’s Britain is far from what is was when my father was working and mother was a housewife.You could only have what you could afford and that went for food,appliances etc;.

In today’s culture people want it now and they don’t care how they obtain it (in some cases).

I am sorry if i have gone a little off topic it’s just my opinion.

Thankyou.

LOS ANGELES – Acting charming actress Meryl Streep as former British prime minister Margaret Thatcher was predicted to be won Oscar as best actress. 62-year-old star had to compete with younger actresses like Michelle Williams.

Maryl Streep’s acting abilities as the first female British prime minister and the only one, indeed a thumbs-up. Many brilliant people assessing Streep plays a role as Margaret Thatcher.
Previously nominated for an Oscar-winning actress was 17 was named Best Actress at the Golden Globe Awards 2012.”I feel happy judged fit to play that role,”he said as quoted by Reuters.

The figure of Meryl Streep is very fitting with Margaret Thatcher. In the film, hair style, nose shape, color and style that they use the same accessories. Even to shape his lips were very similar. Way of speaking and body language was imitated by Margaret sempuran by Streep. Not only that, acting in the movie Meryl was in too prominent.

Transitional role of the fiery woman to turn into a weak brittle nan critics praised.
The actress whose full name was born Mary Louise Streep in Summit, New Jersey, United States, June 22, 1949. He was a theater actress, television, film United States.

Streep did her first stage debut in The Playboy of Seville in 1971 and his first role in television movie The Deadliest Season-. Started her acting debut in the film Julia in 1977. Make it a commercial success then play a role in The Deer Hunter with Robert De Niro and Kramer vs.. Kramer with Dustin Hoffman makes Streep received her first nomination in Academy Awards, and then win it. He also won an Academy Award both 1982, through the film Sophie’s Choice It is the record holder of most nominations (actor and actress) in the history of the Oscars with 16 nominations. Streep then considered as one of the most respected actresses and most talented of all time.

Oscar nominations for Best Actress
Glenn Close – Albert Nobbs
Viola Davis – The Help
Rooney Mara – The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo
Meryl Streep – The Iron Lady
Michelle Williams – My Week With Marilyn